Spectroscopic Approach Toward Unraveling the Electrical Signature of Roots

fine roots; impedance spectroscopy; plant roots; root electrical signature; root segments; spectral-induced polarization; Forestry; Aquatic Science; Ecology; Water Science and Technology; Soil Science; Atmospheric Science; Paleontology

Abstract :

[en] Geoelectrical methods are increasingly used to investigate soil-plant interactions in an agricultural context. For this, it is essential to quantify root electrical properties, since they influence the bulk electrical signal of vegetated soil. This quantification has to be done at the root segment scale with attention for the variability of root properties in time and space as well as within and across plant species. In this study, we investigated the frequency-dependent electrical properties in terms of conduction and polarization of single root segments of Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon L.) and Maize (Zea mays L.). A sample holder to investigate the electrical properties of root segments was designed and tested on ideal resistors. We found that it is suitable to assess the electrical properties of crop root segments of 1–5-cm length in a frequency range between 1 Hz and 45 kHz. The system was then used to obtain the complex electrical response of Brachypodium and Maize root segments at 10 different ages. It was found that the electrical properties of the root segments varied with age and species. This variation was linked to root anatomy based on the microscopic analysis of root sections.

Disciplines :

Geological, petroleum & mining engineering

Author, co-author :

Ehosioke, Solomon ; Urban and Environmental Engineering, Liège University, Liège, Belgium ; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liège University, Gembloux, Belgium

Garré, Sarah ; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liège University, Gembloux, Belgium ; Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium

Huisman, Johan Alexander ; Agrosphere (IBG 3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany

Zimmermann, Egon; Electronic Systems (ZEA-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany

Placencia-Gomez, Edmundo ; Urban and Environmental Engineering, Liège University, Liège, Belgium

Javaux, Mathieu ; Agrosphere (IBG 3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany ; Earth and Life Institute, Environmental Science, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Nguyen, Frédéric ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département ArGEnCo > Géophysique appliquée

Language :

English

Title :

Spectroscopic Approach Toward Unraveling the Electrical Signature of Roots

Publication date :

April 2023

Journal title :

Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences

ISSN :

2169-8953

eISSN :

2169-8961

Publisher :

John Wiley and Sons Inc

Volume :

128

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2022JG007281

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Funding text :

This work was supported through “Fonds de la recherche scientifique (FRS‐FNRS)”, Grant/award number: PDR‐23638781, granted to Sarah Garré, Frédéric Nguyen and Mathieu Javaux under the e‐Root project. We thank Gäel Dumont for his technical support with the laboratory experiments.

Available on ORBi :

since 24 March 2025

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